Alice Heiman book review: ‘When’ helps you understand your chronotype

RENO, Nev. — It’s 8:45 p.m., and I am writing this book review. According to Daniel Pink, that makes me an owl, which means I can concentrate better on creative activities such as writing in the evenings.

Are you an owl like me, or are you a lark who gets more done before 9 a.m. than most other people? If you are somewhere in between, then you are in good company.

By knowing what time of day is best for you to do each type of activity, you can understand your chronotype. Your chronotype is how you feel at different points in the day, and knowing your cycle is critical to doing your best work, according to Pink in his book, “When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing.”

All business owners should understand their chronotype if they want to work smarter and advance more quickly. “When” can help business owners change outcomes and get better results by choosing the right time for each task.

According to Pink, people generally fall into the three categories: The Lark, The Owl and The Third Bird — those people who are neither an Owl or a Lark.

Whether you are an Owl, a Lark or a Third Bird, we all experience a peak, a trough and a rebound of energy each day. It’s important to know when your trough is and not do important work during that time. In fact, it’s best if you get out for a walk or take a nap.

Yes, I said it, take a nap.

As a business owner, you wear many hats and have many different tasks that you must complete in a day. Knowing when to do each type of activity will make you more productive and give you better results.

It’s also important to discover your employees’ chronotypes. Every person has a best time of day to do certain types of activities. If you want sales to soar, help your salespeople figure out their chronotype and have them make prospecting calls when they are most alert. When your employees figure out their best time of day to do their different types of work, your business will experience higher productivity and better work output.

We all have the same 24 hours each day, so how do we make our 24 hours more productive and more results-driven? By reading “When,” you can discover how to use timing to build a more successful and fulfilling business and life.

Based in Reno, Alice Heiman is an internationally renowned sales expert who transforms business owners into sales leaders. Her clients rapidly and profitably increase sales by about 30 percent after working with her. You can find her at aliceheiman.com.